Ingrid
She sits by the volleyball pitch, crying. In front of her, on the field, the big kids are busy playing. She has two meters of bench on each side. Some parents are sitting nearby with their kids. They are looking worried, but they don't approach her. I am throwing ball with some girls, being of no use. I kind of feel that my motivation of being here is the outsider kids, so I approach her. Maybe because I kind of am on the outside my self?
First she does not wanna say anything. She just howls, looking around, terrified. I ask her if she has fallen. I have registered a little red pond out on the field. Fortunately someone tells me that it is just chupete, melted water-based ice cream. She shakes her head. I ask what is her name, but she does not answer. So I tell her that my name is Ingrid, that I am 19 years old, and that I come from faaar away. We sit there for a while, in quiet. Then I ask her if she wants to play. The crying has stopped, she does not howl anymore. Her little head with black braids gives a little nod. I go and get a ball, and start throwing it to her, while sitting on the bench. After a while, we rise up. The distance gets longer and longer, until her short arms throw the ball up to me with all their strength. It hits me in the face. She laughs. I ask her what her name is. She whispers: "María". I ask for her age. She puts four fingers up in the air. The ball goes back and forth, back and forth. The whole girl is shining like the sun. Se has been seen. What a privilege it was for me to get to see her that day! I wish I could do something to make her feel seen every day.
